Legal Aid Agency

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) provides both civil and criminal legal aid and advice in England and Wales.

Its work is essential to the fair, effective and efficient operation of the civil and criminal justice systems. It is a delivery organisation which commissions and procures legal aid services from providers (solicitors, barristers and the not-for-profit sector).

The LAA is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice which came into existence on 1 April 2013 following the abolition of the Legal Services Commission as a result of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012.

The Act created the new statutory office of the Director of Legal Casework. The Director will take decisions on the funding of individual cases. Processes have been put in place to ensure the LAA is able to demonstrate independence of decision-making. There will be an annual report published about these decisions.